Alrighty, it is tulip planting time here in Tejas. I couldn't ask for a better day to do it - cool and sunny. It just rained a bit a couple of nights ago so the soil is soft. I have about 1500 bulbs, although I don't think I can squeeze out enough space for all of them. Anyone who knows me, or works for me, is well acquainted with my approved color scheme. This color scheme never includes red and rarely yellow - but those are the tulips I ended up with this year. Yellow is only allowed to sneak in via Iceland poppies and Iris pseudocorus.I plant mostly white tulips, augmented by purples and peaches. White daffodils, blue Dutch Iris, etc. etc. One of my employees calls it my "bruise" garden. Appropriately so. But, there was nothing I could do about this tulip "catastrophe" considering I don't have enough tulips left in inventory to fulfill my original order. So, I'm planting 'Big Smile', which is a buttery yellow, 'City of Vancouver' which is a creamy white (and perfectly acceptable in my normal color scheme). The big offender is 'Montepelier ', a brand new variety that I'm not familiar with and can find no photos of. It is supposed to be a "pinky red". We shall see....

I managed to drop in about 600-700 this morning and will probably try to create a few more spots to plant a couple hundred more tomorrow morning. Some leftovers will go to the neighbors. Of course, I'll have to color coordinate them too! Lonnie and Julie - lefthand neighbors - will get yellow (Lonnie's a big Iowa State fan). Phillip and Shannon - right hand neighbors - will get the pinky/red, because Shannon really likes that color. Won't we be a cute little trio. No, I'm not a control freak. REALLY.

Much winter clean up was required as I've been terribly neglectful of my garden as of late. After all the pulling and pruning work, I found myself all scratched up. Normally, one would think of "Winter" clean up as an activity requiring long sleeves of some sort. But this is Texas yall. It ended up around 70 degrees (yes it's December 30th) so the sweatshirt came off. I tend to be a "gloves off" kind of gardener and I dive in head first. Forget the gloves most of the time...rose thorns..whose afraid of those?? No pain - No Gain. You get the idea. It's not till I'm done that I realize I look like a 10 year old boy...complete with the knee scuffs, arms that look like a squirrel scrambled up them and a fine film of soil covering my entire body. Hot stuff, I know. But that's not the best part. I got SUNBURNED. Yes, sunburned. I'll restate that yes, it is December. As any horticulturist or avid gardener knows, fighting the dreaded farmer's tan is a continuous and frustrating battle. But it's not a battle one thinks they'll have to fight in the middle of winter. But alas, here I am, with a farmer's sunburn for my efforts. Jeez Louise.

A few pics from our summer trip to Arkansas. yes...Arkansas. It's pretty, and quiet, and I do nothing for a week. It's great!

The 'Tiger Eyes' Sumac has put on quite the show of fall color. Such a nice combination of chartreuse and pink! The Thunbergia grandiflora is fantastic in fall, as usual. Ornamental pepper 'Black Pearl' (you have to say it like Captain Jack Sparrow) looks great with ornamental grasses and fall marigolds or mums. The seed heads belong to dwarf Philippine lily and they've just now matured. These lovely seeds will be going to Cody...remind me to bring them to you!!

During the summer, at say about 9am, the dragonflies come out. A huge group of them hovers over our front garden for an hour or two each morning. They only hang out in our yard...not a one in either of the neighbor's yard. Its quite the spectacle. I tried to get a decent picture, but its almost impossible to capture the scene. I'd say there are probably a good 50-75 of them. Very cool.

Hairyette's hair is filling in nicely....

Face Pot with Mexican Feather Grass

Grow Pepper 'Holy Moly'

Indifferent to my negligence, the vegetable garden has continued to produce...as if I have time to harvest! I'm going to have to get out there soon because there is some mean salsa to be made.....

Pepper 'Holy Mole', All-American Selections winner, really has a great flavor and produces heavily.

Anyone need some Habaneros? Boy that salsa is going to burn.....

I know, I know! It's been a while since I updated. It's been a busysummer! I've barely had time to spend in the garden, but it has marchedon without me. Here are a few current bloomers. Dwarf Philippine Lilyare always a pleasant and unique surprise in the late summer garden.This dwarf variety is rare and not typically available. I've let thelast couple of seasons go by without collecting its seeds, but I'll domy best to get them this summer. Rudbeckia, Centauria and Zebra grassare a great summer combo. Moon Vine has begun creeping to the upstairsbalcony. Thunbergia is popping into bloom. This massive vine, when infull bloom, has caused strangers to stop and knock on my door. "What isthis beautiful plant????" Talk about making a gardener's day,....

April is usually peak spring bloom time in my garden, with a crazy explosion of colors. While I try to stick to a cool color scheme, bulbs are one of my obsessions. So I end up of with lots of "unapproved" colors because I just can't help but acquire new varieties! Also, I'm obsessed with peach colored roses and they too are at their peak in April.

After this somewhat gaudy spring show, and the month of May begins, my garden takes a big deep breath. May becomes a transitional time. There are usually several weeks to a month of green foliage and the promise of better things to come. By the end of May, however, many of my summer blooming perennials begin to put on their show. That is when I'm reminded that I like to plant purple! It always makes me laugh a little (how much purple there is) but the onset of cool, calming blue and purple blooms is just in time for the arrival of Texas summer heat.

The Scabiosa never really stopped blooming, then the purple asters decided to make a spring appearance. Veronica has been waiting for this moment since last summer and makes for the prettiest contrast against Artemesia. The arrival of the dwarf balloon flowers brought both sets of neighbors over to ask "what is that beautiful purple thing?!!" Salvia 'Henry Deulberg' has been blooming all spring and will continue to do so all summer. The Mexican Blue Sage (Salvia c.)has the prettiest powder blue blooms. Catmint 'Walker's Low' creates a powdery cloud of lavender flowers that will bring on the biggest bee party you'll ever see. Salvia g. 'Black and Blue' still amazes me with its "blueness". Salvia f. 'Evolution' is similar to 'Victoria', but with darker purple blooms and a more dense compact growth habit. French hollyhocks have always been a favorite of mine because they are so easy to grow. These are just a few samples of some of my favorites. Also in blooming in blue/purples are spiderwort, Baptisia a. hydrangeas, purple oxalis, light blue petunias, lobelia, althea and more. Ah.....so serene.